Zcurzan, you knew this was coming! LOL

I TOLD YOU SO, I TOLD YOU SO, I TOLD YOU SO, read, 7th and 8th paragraph down:

Satellite-Radio Merger
Will Pass After Firms
Pay $20 Million in Fines
By AMY SCHATZ and SARAH MCBRIDE
July 24, 2008

Commissioners at the Federal Communications Commission have reached a tentative deal to approve the proposed merger of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., FCC officials said Wednesday.

Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate is expected to cast the final and deciding vote on the deal shortly, the officials said, after details are resolved on several outstanding enforcement issues. In exchange for her vote, Ms. Tate and FCC Chairman Kevin Martin have been negotiating with the companies to pay upward of $20 million in fines for violations regarding tower locations and power limits, people close to the negotiations said.

The companies are valued at $7.5 billion combined.

The deal will allow Sirius to make a big marketing push at holiday time, traditionally a big selling period for satellite radio. Within three months, the company is expected to have new à la carte radios on the market. These will allow consumers to mix and match 50 or 100 radio stations from the two services.

Even without a new radio, consumers will have new options. For example, a bare-bones plan of just 50 stations from one of the two services will cost $6.99 a month, compared with $12.95 for more than 100 stations currently. Consumers will also likely soon see a number of programming changes as the companies get rid of redundant programming.

For the companies, the deal will come at a steep price. They are expected to enter into a consent decree, with XM paying about $17.5 million and Sirius paying about $2 million, to settle complaints they produced satellite radio transmitters that exceeded FCC power limits and placed booster towers in unapproved locations.

The deal would resolve the issue of stronger-than-permitted radio receivers and repeaters, which take satellite signals and transmit them to radios in many urban areas. The companies have tried to modify overactive repeaters and tweak newer radio models, but the quirk has led to satellite-radio signals bleeding into some local-station signals.

Ms. Tate has suggested a variety of other conditions. People close to the negotiations said these wouldn't significantly change terms already agreed upon by the companies. In June, the companies agreed to a three-year price freeze for existing customers. They also agreed to set aside about 8%, or about 24 channels, of their combined lineup for use by educational and minority broadcasters.

Notably, the deal wouldn't require the companies to include technology in their radios allowing consumers to receive digital signals from local radio stations. That is a blow to broadcasters who want to expand the number of consumers who listen to their new digital stations.

An adviser to Ms. Tate didn't respond to a call for comment. Exact details of the deal are unknown because FCC officials and company lawyers are still working them out.

Ms. Tate's vote would end the agency's 13-month review of the deal and would clear the final hurdle for the merger, which was approved by the Justice Department in March. Ms. Tate's vote was critical, since the FCC's four other commissioners were split evenly on whether to approve the deal.

The new options that would be available through the merged companies, including the bare-bones plan, could significantly reduce churn, or the number of subscribers who ditch the service each year, said Tony Wible, an analyst at Citigroup. As the economy enters tough times, he said, many consumers might prefer to switch to a low-frills option rather than cancel.

XM declined to comment. Sirius didn't respond to requests for comment

I TOLD YOU SO, I TOLD YOU SO, I TOLD YOU SO.

Now I just hope the Wall Street Journal is right because I would hate to have to retract and apologize to you and then have to say; YOU TOLD ME SO, YOU TOLD ME SO, I WAS WRONG.

Worst post ever. This is not about zcurzan it is about the merger deal so, write an appropriate title and label it as such. If you want to be a dink, then do so at the bottom of the post. No one here cares about your beef with zcurzan so send him a private message and spare us all from reading your childish crap.

clueless, did you read the article, it says that Tate will not have the concessions that you and many others thought would be there. While it does prove that my common sense and research was right. It is still confirmation that I am sure many may take some comfort in. Only because, even though I have been right so many times. I know my research and commonsense would not be enough for most.

P.S. clueless If you cant see the importance to the merger on this article, I will have to resort to calling you an idiot, or a nit-wit. I would like not to have to do that so please read it then get back to me.

Charles, I will agree I read clueless post the wrong way. To be honest I dont see the difference between what I put up and, I dont know, "No HD from Tate". I give people a little credit, that if the are following the Forums they would know what the title ment. If they were not then "No HD from Tate" would mean as little to them as my title. Lets face it The title I put up mattered little because people are for the most part like me curious and will check it out anyway, and once on they are there they are directed to go to the important part of it. You know it, and I know it. Once again to be honest, if it were not for the, catcha to zcurzan I would not have even bothered to put it up. I also think that after the arguement that I had with him I deserved the vindication of the title I put up. Now this is your site and your forums but lets not forget I am not asking to put up an article on the main site. If you want to control the forums like that (try to dictate or censor the titles people use) then I will leave it is a nice simple solution. I have no problem with that. I do however have a problem with someone telling me what title I should use on a forum though. You are not my editor, this is a forum for god sake. As for clueless the same gos for him.

As a matter of fact now that I read clueless post again. I take it back he has no right to tell me about the worth of my post. I have read many of his post and I have a long way to go before I even get to the worst post ever going just from his post.

One more thing Charles If you are that unhappy with the title I used then maybe you should change your title from, "General Sirius Discussion" to "Breaking News Everything Here Must Be Serious News", not **GENERAL** sirius **DISCUSSION**, or did I get the catogory wrong. Is this general sirius discussion or not.

You do not need to post three times. Simply edit your first post with additional info. Before you get defensive, that is not a requirement... it is a suggestion.

Lets face it The title I put up mattered little because people are for the most part like me curious and will check it out anyway, and once on they are there they are directed to go to the important part of it. You know it, and I know it.

You think if I title my post about the merger being approved "banana split" that it will receive the same amount of readers as if I name it "Sirius XM Merger Approved?" Banana split is meaningless just like your title and for the record I frequent the forums and I had no idea what the hell it meant.

To be honest I dont see the difference between what I put up and, I dont know, "No HD from Tate".

If you don't see the difference then look closer. Tate is a public figure who is relative to this site zcurzan is a poster from the forums and I dont want a flame war.

I also think that after the arguement that I had with him I deserved the vindication

Thousands of people come to SB every day... I am willing to bet that 4 of them knew you had an argument with him. I for one, did not.

I do however have a problem with someone telling me what title I should use on a forum though. You are not my editor, this is a forum for god sake.

If starting tomorrow every single post that zcurzan wrote for the next 3 years said and only said "john is a shithead" would that create and add to a nice environment here on the forums? Based on what you are saying he should be able to do anything he pleases.

I have never be about censoring anyone but, I am not going to have zcurzan write a post tomorrow that is titled "John is an ASSHOLE" and have it be about Tates vote. It is not useful to the visitors of SiriusBuzz who see all of the latest posts from the forums on the front page.

These forums are not going to run wild and turn into the yahoo boards. If you don't like it you can leave. I will never ever beg anyone to stay. In the end, the people who "get it" will stick around and that is what makes a good online community.

**GENERAL** sirius **DISCUSSION**

You failed to capitalize SIRIUS. Which gave me a great idea that has been previously suggested and I have been meaning to get around to. I will create a new General Chat section under "off topic" for this kind of "in your face" and "told you so" kind of stuff.

I will then move this kind of stuff into that forum which will not be displayed as new posts on the homepage.

To everyone:

If you want to take a light hearted dig at someone, send them a private message. Don't air out dirty laundry that 99% of use don't understand to begin with.

Charles, first of all there is a big difference between a title like "Charles is a ass wipe" and "zcurzan you knew this was coming!". I would think that even you could see that. But maybe you cant, so I will expain, one is offensive and, one that I would not want on the front page ether. The other is in no way offensive. Even zcurzan would have taken it in a light hearted way. The LOL which means "laughing out loud. should have told you that. So the flame war that you speak of, is a little mellow dramatic considering, dont you think.

Next, you said:

"You think if I title my post about the merger being approved "banana split" that it will receive the same amount of readers as if I name it "Sirius XM Merger Approved?" Banana split is meaningless just like your title and for the record I frequent the forums and I had no idea what the hell it meant"

Thousands of people come to SB every day... I am willing to bet that 4 of them knew you had an argument with him. I for one, did not.

Once again there is a difference between my title and the example you used. But then again I AM IN A FORUM, not on the main page. If I knew my articles in a forum were there to get readers then what is my pay scale here (I know you dont get paid for doing this). I cant tell if you are double talking on purpose or you are that confused. You tell me that you frequent the forums yet you did not see this "I told you so" or the arguement with zcurzan that I had, which was in 2 seperate articles on the forums. You sure that is the comment you are saying. Because you cant have it both ways, that is what is called a contradiction.

I dought that, not the fact that thousands come here, fewer still to the forums, but that few that come to the forums knew. Although it has picked up lately, there just are not that many new articles in the forums that most would not at least see it, and almost all still would check any article out, there just are not that many articles to go over. I know when I see a new article the first thing I do is enter it, and dont even try to tell me you dont do the very same thing. That is what is called normal human curiousity. If you had alot of new articles that may be different but right now you dont.

next you said:

You failed to capitalize SIRIUS. Which gave me a great idea that has been previously suggested and I have been meaning to get around to. I will create a new General Chat section under "off topic" for this kind of "in your face" and "told you so" kind of stuff.

Yea, and when you do that, why dont you tell me where the atricle that I put up would go, because while it was there to prove a point. The point was how HD would not be included into ***SIRIUS***or satellite radio which would include **SIRIUS**. Did you get the point yet.

next you said:

These forums are not going to run wild and turn into the yahoo boards. If you don't like it you can leave. I will never ever beg anyone to stay. In the end, the people who "get it" will stick around and that is what makes a good online community.

Once again you have taken a problem that started out about the way I titled my article to get more readers, to blowing it way out of proportion to me using profanity in the title which in no way can you even come close to. So you had to way over exaggerated it, to make it sound much worse then it was by far. So dont even try to compare "Charles is a asshole" to "zcurzan you knew this was coming!". You have got to be a better debater then that to try and get that kind of crap passed me. Finally I have never asked to be begged to stay. I just dont want someone getting on me about readership unless they are going to pay me. Once again, I know you dont get paid for what you do, but you get my point right. So get off my back about the amount of readers that you are not getting on a forum noless. Also dont ever try to compare what I used, to your example (using swear words in a title), you dont have the debating skills to do that with me, I will catch it everytime. Double-talking is a big no no also, I will turn it around, and make you look dumb.

You sure do assume a lot. I will briefly try and cover some that are incorrect.

1. Just because you do not see people involved does not mean that people are not here reading the forums. Check the number of guests viewing the forums at any given time and you will see that over the course of the day it is THOUSANDS of people.

2. I do frequent the forums and as crazy as this may be, I had no idea what the hell that title meant or that there was any kind of fight going on. I have no reason to lie. You should also know that there are more forums than normal members can see here so don't assume that all I see are the new posts that you see.

Charles, first of all there is a big difference between a title like "Charles is a ass wipe" and "zcurzan you knew this was coming!". I would think that even you could see that. But maybe you cant, so I will expain, one is offensive and, one that I would not want on the front page ether.

Why wouldn't you want something like that on the front page? Now you want to censor? Isn't that called a contra... c-o-n... I think you called it a contradiction?

Yea, and when you do that, why dont you tell me where the atricle that I put up would go, because while it was there to prove a point. The point was how HD would not be included into ***SIRIUS***or satellite radio which would include **SIRIUS**. Did you get the point yet.

Like I said from go, I have no problem with the content, I just wanted it labeled as such. If you don't want to contribute then don't.

You have got to be a better debater then that to try and get that kind of crap passed me.

You got me... you sure are a good debater. I will say you have been good for a good laugh and the 4 PM's which I received questioning your sanity and motives to turn every little suggestion into a full blown war. Do everyone a favor and label your threads appropriately as in the end everyone wins. You will create a longstanding resource that will be easier for people to find. Or did you forget about people finding stuff via search?

For the record, all of this was a SUGGESTION and as you will see your stupid title is still in place.

By the way... you're grasping at straws and your argument is weak but that is neither here no there. Feel free to set up a poll in the new General Chat (once it is in place) about who "won" this "debate" and I am sure the winner will be clear.

Alright here we go. I was biting my tongue this entire time out of respect for the board Charles is running here, but he let me off the leash.

1.)
Anyone with a set of eyes who cares to review the thread that we were arguing in can see that the argument we got in was regarding Mel walking away from the merger, and not whether HD inclusion would be part of the final deal.

2.)
The discussion that we were involved in before that thread deteriorated was a debate on the merits of accepting HD inclusion in order to get the merger passed, if it were to be (hypothetically) at no cost to satellite radio. Which all seemed to agree that Ibiquity would never pursue.

At the end of that thread I just assumed we were misreading each others posts and walked away, because we were clearly having two separate discussions and not getting anywhere. A fact with Newman pointed out to you in the thread.

I really enjoy what you bring to the forum, but try to remember that not everything has to be a pissing contest. I can count on a single hand the number of threads you have contributed two without belittling or otherwise antagonizing another poster. Case in point, my first experience of you on this board was calling us all sissies for asking crfceo to stay and contribute. (I'm sure the board will not extend the same courtesy to you, for fear that our estrogen levels will somehow reduce the size of your nuts) You seem to like dissecting the post of others (even Charles), and picking them apart. I'm not sure why.

In any event, I agree with him. I don't mind you calling me out, keeps this board interesting. I don't take it personally either. But make it a separate thread in hopefully what will soon be a new part of the forum. Otherwise the real important part of the thread, the news, can get lost behind all of our bullshit, as it has in this one.